Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department: Matty Healy speaks out about 'diss' tracks?

It’s almost been a week since Taylor Swift swept the world up in The Tortured Poets Department fever, with Easter eggs being discussed, lyrics dissected and even a pub in London getting new patrons thanks to the album.

But what many want to know is what the men, rumoured to be the subject of some of Swift’s songs, think about it. Enter The 1975’s Matty Healy, who at one stage in 2023 was in what sources described as an “always casual” relationship with the Shake It Off singer.

Ardent fans of Swift are sure that The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived is about Healy’s apparent ‘ghosting’, with the line, "You tried to buy some pills, from a friend of mine, they just ghosted you, now you know what it feels like,” in many Swifties’ minds a reference to their romance. 

That’s also compounded with the song, Fortnight, with the lines “And I love you, it’s ruining my life, I touched you only for a fortnight” - the length of time the rumoured dalliance between the two lasted for, while Guilty As Sin has Swift discussing “fatal fantasies” about someone from her past while in a relationship.

When asked by a photographer in Los Angeles how he rates the ‘diss tracks’ compared to the other songs on the double album, Healy was initially confused. “My diss track?” he responded, followed by “Oh, I haven’t really listened to that much of it, but I’m sure it’s good.”

But could his nonchalance about the album be all a ruse, with the next album by The 1975 potentially offering a rebuke to The Tortured Poets Department, much like some of the songs on Being Funny in a Foreign Language alluding to his former relationship with R&B artist FKA twigs?

“Matty is currently keeping a low profile working on The 1975’s next album. This time last week he had no idea he was about to become one of the most talked about men on the planet,” a source told The Sun. 

“He has opted to keep silent, but no NDA has been signed. Like Taylor, he uses his music as a form of release and storytelling, it’s naturally caused him to think about their time together and he’s never been one to hold back when speaking his mind.

“Also like Taylor, he’s moved on and is very happy with his current relationship with Gabbriette Bechtel but there is nothing stopping him from writing about his romance with Taylor and having his say on what she said about him.”